It's even worse than it looks : how the American constitutional system collided with the new politics of extremism / Thomas E. Mann and Norman J. Ornstein.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

pt. 1. The problem : The new politics of hostage taking ; The seeds of dysfunction ; Beyond the debt ceiling fiasco -- pt. 2. What to do about it : Bromides to avoid ; Fixing the party system ; Reforming U.S. political institutions ; Navigating the current system.

Two leading experts on Congress outline recommendations for ending obstructionist tactics and artificial barriers to compromise, suggesting specific institutional restructuring measures while calling on the public and media to work with government to correct problems rather than perpetuating acerbic campaign cycles.